1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming device. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image forming device including a toner discharge unit which can be removably attached to a device main body.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming device is used as a scanner, a facsimile machine, a copier, and a Multi Function Peripheral (MFP) of the scanner, the facsimile machine, and/or the copier. In the image forming device, a surface of a charged photoconductive drum is exposed according to image information, and an electrostatic latent image is formed. The electrostatic latent image is developed, and a toner image is formed. The toner image is transferred onto a printing paper, and accordingly, an image forming operation is performed.
When the electrostatic latent image is developed, and the toner image is formed, toner charged in a developing unit is transferred from a developing roller to the surface of the photoconductive drum. Accordingly, since the toner in the developing unit decreases each time the toner image is formed, toner is required to be regularly supplied to the developing unit. Since the toner is regularly supplied to the developing unit, a toner supply unit, which is a toner discharge unit, is provided in a device main body.
The toner supply unit can be removably attached to the device main body. When the toner supply unit is attached to the device main body, a toner discharge port of the toner supply unit and a toner receiving port of the developing unit overlap each other. Moreover, a shutter, which slides and can be opened and closed, is respectively attached to the toner discharge port and the toner receiving port. When the toner supply unit is attached to the device main body, both of the shutters slide so that the toner discharge port is opened under a state in which the toner receiving port is opened. When both of the shutters move to a position where the shutters open the toner discharge port and the toner receiving port, the toner is discharged into the developing unit. Thus, the toner discharged from the toner discharge port can be prevented from not being received in the developing unit and scattering. As a result, an inside of the image forming device is not contaminated.
The toner transferred onto the surface of the photoconductive drum forms the toner image. A portion of the formed toner image is not transferred onto the printing paper, and remains as residual toner on the surface of the photoconductive drum. Accordingly, a cleaning device, which is the toner discharge unit, is provided in the device main body. The cleaning device scrapes off the residual toner remaining on the surface of the photoconductive drum. A residual toner receiving unit is provided in the device main body. The residual toner receiving unit receives the residual toner discharged from the cleaning device.
The cleaning device can be removably attached to the device main body. When the cleaning device is attached to the device main body, a toner discharge port of the cleaning device and a toner receiving port of the residual toner receiving unit overlap each other. Moreover, a shutter, which slides and can be opened and closed, is respectively attached to the toner discharge port and the toner receiving port. Accompanying an attaching operation of the cleaning device to the device main body, the shutters slide so that the toner discharge port is opened under a state in which the toner receiving port is opened. When both of the shutters move to a position where the shutters open the toner discharge port and the toner receiving port, the residual toner is discharged into the residual toner receiving unit. Thus, the residual toner discharged from the toner discharge port can be prevented from not being received in the residual toner receiving unit of the device main body and scattering. As a result, an inside of the image forming device is not contaminated. Some conventional image forming devices are provided with two slide plates. One of the slide plates is urged in a direction in which the slide plate closes a discharge port of a toner cartridge, and the other slide plate is urged in a direction in which the latter slide plate closes a receiving port of the developing unit.
Generally, the slide plate provided to the discharge port of the toner cartridge opens and closes in the same direction as a direction in which the toner cartridge is attached to the device main body. However, due to limitations of a layout of the image forming device, in some cases, a direction in which the shutter of the toner discharge port opens and closes may need to be different from a direction in which the toner discharge unit is attached to the developing unit or the device main body. FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C are schematic top views of the conventional image forming device including the above-described configuration. In FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C, a toner supply unit 40 includes a toner discharge port 41 and a shutter 42. The toner supply unit 40 can be attached such that the toner supply unit 40 slides parallel to a developing unit 50 including a toner receiving port 51. The shutter 42 opens to a right side with respect to a direction in which the toner supply unit 40 is attached. In the image forming device having such a shutter, an opening direction of the shutter 42 of the toner discharge port 41 and the attaching direction of the toner supply unit 40 differ from each other. Moreover, the toner discharge port 41 is square-shaped. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 8B, a non-overlapped portion 41A, which does not overlap the toner receiving port 51 of the developing unit 50, occurs at a portion of an opening of the toner discharge port 41, which is opened when the shutter 42 opens. Accordingly, a problem is that since the toner discharged from the toner discharge port 41 is not received in the toner receiving port 51 of the developing unit 50 and scatters, an inside of the image forming device is contaminated.